Vanuatu Daily News Digest | Dissolution solution

The full text of the dissolution of Parliament by President Baldwin Lonsdale was given last night by VBTC and is printed today in Daily Post.

The Head of State says his deadline of last Sunday for the Government and Opposition to reach an amicable solution, a month after 14 MPs were committed to Correctional Services, had passed. Neither side has sufficient numbers to serve the people of Vanuatu, he says: climate change and sea level rise are affecting the people of Vanuatu and there is the likelihood of more cyclones this cyclone season. With "service delivery to our people slow and not effective" and with the man-made disaster of political instability, the President is following the advice of the Council of Ministers and dissolving Parliament. He says this advice he withheld until yesterday. President Lonsdale speaks of the dissolution as a last resort.

The Head of State says he is making his decision in knowledge of the call for a Parliament sitting on 14 December and in awareness of the urgent Constitutional application which will be heard this afternoon.

President Lonsdale has been advised the Electoral Office has funds to run the general election.

He reminded his listeners that dissolution is a last resort. to "return the integrity of our nation and safeguard sovereignty of our country, and allow the country not to go through continued political instability." He observes that there have been four prime ministers since Parliament was elected in 2012.